India steps up maritime presence in Asia-Pacific – just as US and China conduct separate exercises

Name: Explained: the history of China’s territorial disputes
Uploaded: 2021-08-05T14:30:22.000Z
Duration: 6 min 24 s
Description: Explained: the history of China’s territorial disputes

The Indian Navy is deploying four warships to the South China Sea and the western Pacific as Beijing and Washington conduct separate naval drills there

Analysts say New Delhi wants to draw closer to Southeast Asia, with its ongoing border conflict with China pushing it to join US efforts to counter Beijing

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India’s indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant commences sea trials. Photo: AFP

Kunal Purohit

Published: 10:30pm, 5 Aug 2021Updated: 8:03am, 6 Aug 2021

The Indian Navy is set to deploy a task force of four warships to the South China Sea and Western Pacific for two months, in what analysts say is a bid by New Delhi to step up its presence in the region – just as the United States and China embark on separate large-scale maritime exercises there.

The Indian warships – apart from patrolling the waters of the South China Sea, where Beijing has made expansive claims – will also take part in multiple maritime exercises, from bilateral drills with the navies of Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines, to the annual Malabar exercise with the Quad countries.

The deployment includes INS Ranvijay, a guided missile destroyer; the guided missile frigate INS Shivalik; anti-submarine corvette INS Kadmatt; and INS Kora, a guided missile corvette. Three of the warships were designed and manufactured by India, the exception being Ranvijay.

In an official statement, the Indian Navy said the move served to strengthen international cooperation and solidarity with “friendly countries towards ensuring good order in the maritime domain”.

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Explained: the history of China’s territorial disputes

What was left unspoken, analysts said, was New Delhi’s objective to draw closer to Southeast Asia and demonstrate its presence in the region, with its ongoing border conflict with China pushing it to join the US in efforts to counter Beijing’s growing influence. India has in recent months played a more active role in the Quad, an informal US-led security alliance that also includes Japan and Australia.

Rajiv Bhatia, a former Indian ambassador to Myanmar and an expert on Southeast Asia, said the upcoming naval exercises were “evidence of increasing coordination” in the region among the Quad countries.